


Where Did You Go?

by xspike4evax



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Other, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 03:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16077125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xspike4evax/pseuds/xspike4evax
Summary: Ginny watches Harry with Luna.





	Where Did You Go?

Ginny Weasley sat beside Neville Longbottom surveying the Great Hall of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her long red hair was pulled back off her face and fastened with little clips in the shape of holly leaves in order to keep in with the Christmas festivities. The Hall was decorated accordingly, with a big Christmas tree, coloured lights and holly, mistletoe and ivy adorning the walls. 

It was the last day of school, tomorrow the Hogwarts Express would arrive to take the students home for the Christmas holidays, to spend time with their families and loved ones. Ginny had to admit, she was looking forward to going home this year, even though her brother Fred wouldn’t be there, having given his life at the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of the war, it would be nice to just be with her family for once. Hermione Granger was going home to her parents and Harry Potter was returning to his muggle relations. He needn’t have gone of course, not if he didn’t want to, but Harry had wanted to go, he and his cousin were trying to build bridges. 

Ginny sucked in a deep breath when her roaming eyes finally settled upon Harry Potter. He was sitting by the large Christmas tree, the twinkling lights reflecting off his round glasses, his dark hair, as per usual, sticking up all over the place. And he was sitting at her feet. 

Ginny had assumed, maybe foolishly, that after the war she and Harry would pick up where they had left off. After all, hadn’t he left to keep her safe, hadn’t he kissed her at The Burrow before leaving to search for the Horocruxes with Ron and Hermione? Harry was the one she had always wanted, and he had shown more than friendly feelings towards her. 

Things changed. Ginny knew that things changed. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes for the worse. But she hadn’t for one minute thought that Harry would change, especially towards her, but he had. Harry didn’t seem to want to continue any sort of romantic relationship with her, he hadn’t hinted at it, hadn’t spoken about it; nothing. 

Ginny bit her bottom lip, watching as Harry laughed and shook his head. Harry reached out and lazily flicked the badge she wore on her cardigan that was covered with robins, and the badge began to flash and play a Christmas tune. Ginny was too far away to hear the tune, but she had seen the badge before so knew how it worked. 

Her face twisted up in annoyance, only Luna Lovegood would wear something like that, and only Harry would find it so fascinating. 

Harry spent all of his time with Luna these days and it was driving Ginny mad. The rational part of her brain told her that she had no right to react this way, to feel so let down by Harry. After all, a war changed a person, didn’t it. Harry had been through a lot, but what was so hard to accept was that he didn’t seem to feel the need to talk to her about his experiences, even as a friend. It wasn’t as if Harry had cut her out of his life exactly, it just felt that way. He wasn’t open with her, he didn’t treat her the way he treated Luna, in fact, Ginny was forced to admit that Harry had never treated anyone the way he treated Luna. 

Vividly, Ginny recalled seeing Harry walking around the grounds of Hogwarts with Luna. He seemed to spend hours in her company, whether it was merely sitting in the library or accompanying her up to the astronomy tower. Harry confided in Luna, Ginny knew he did; but she couldn’t exactly put her finger on how she knew. Maybe it was the way he always seemed to sit just that little bit closer to Luna than anyone else. Maybe it was the way he would lean into her when they were spotted walking into Hogsmead together, or maybe it was the way Luna would look at Harry sometimes, when those big silvery blue eyes of hers clouded over with worry Luna looked like someone who was keeping a secret. Harry’s secrets. 

Winter had come early this year, the frost covering the ground in a sparkling blanket and Ginny could see in her minds eye Harry and Luna strolling together across the court yard. At first she hadn’t quite believed what she had seen. Surely her eyes were playing tricks on her and she hadn’t really seen Harry with his gloved hand wrapped around Luna’s.

She had seen it, Ginny knew she had; it was impossible to deny something that was right in front of her. The sharp stabbing of pain in her chest that day had momentarily taken her breath away. Even though seeing Harry and Luna together hurt, and the pain did not go away, in fact, it even seemed to increase every time she saw them, Ginny couldn’t stop her eyes straying to them, couldn’t stop herself watching them grow closer as the days ticked by. 

She loved Harry, Ginny knew she did, just as she knew that Harry no longer loved her. Although facing that fact was one of the hardest things Ginny had had to endure. 

Harry had told her at the end of his sixth year that he wouldn’t be with her and put her in danger. He had ended their relationship to keep her safe, because he had loved her then, and he had given her hope to imagine her life once the war was over and Harry returned to her. Her dreams had been one of the only things she’d had left at Hogwarts that the Carrow’s couldn’t get their grubby hands on and destroy. No-one could take her dreams of a life with Harry away from her. 

No one it seemed, except Luna Lovegood. 

Ginny’s lips lifted into a small smile as she remembered how Harry had held her during his last visit to The Burrow. How he had kissed her so deeply, so passionately. Now though, it was as if that time between them had never existed.

“Ginny, are you coming?” 

Ginny blinked and looked up, startled at Neville’s voice intruding into her thoughts. “What?” 

“Ernie is going to play the piano,” Neville said, gesturing over his shoulder at the small group of students who had began to gather around the piano. “Are you coming to sing?” 

“No. I’ll just stay here and listen. I’m not much of a singer,” Ginny replied with a grin. “Wouldn’t want to shatter the windows and let all the snow in.” 

“Right you are,” Neville said laughing. “Although, Ron is going to sing.” 

“No he’s not,” Ginny replied, shooting a sneaky look at her brother who was trailing behind Hermione towards the piano. “He’s going to mime enthusiastically to impress Hermione.” 

“That’s love for you,” Neville grinned and bounded off to join his friends. 

Ginny saw Harry, his hand in Luna’s, leaving his seat at the Christmas tree and taking up residence beside the piano. Luna slotted in at his side, and Ginny watched the flicker of the candles on the wall fall onto Luna’s hair, turning the dirty blonde locks a rich gold. Harry had noticed this effect as well, Ginny could tell by the way his head tilted slightly and his fingers touched lightly to the soft looking waves tumbling around Luna's shoulders. 

If she couldn’t have Harry has a boyfriend, Ginny still wanted to be his friend, after all, they had been through a lot together. But Harry didn’t seem to have time for anyone these days. Since starting up his relationship with Luna, Harry only wanted to be around her. It made sense to Ginny that Harry would be protective towards Luna, after all, she had been a prisoner at Malfoy Manor and Harry had rescued her, but he had also rescued everyone at Hogwarts too. 

Everyone wanted to talk to and be close to The Boy Who Lived, and Ginny could understand how that would be wearing and hard to take, but she was willing to offer her support, in fact, she had offered her support and Harry had smiled pleasantly, thanked her and promptly closed the conversation. 

True, Harry had never really been one for sharing his feelings, especially with her, he was shy that way. That shyness looked like an alien concept to Harry these days, the way he could be seen talking animatedly to Luna.

Harry was a decent person, he would never intentionally hurt anyone, and Ginny knew Harry would have no idea what it did to her to see him leaning into Luna, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered his secrets, or his sweet nothings, or whatever it was he and Luna did together. 

Watching Harry now, Ginny was forced to admit Harry was completely oblivious to the world around him as he watched Luna joining in the chorus to the Christmas song Ernie was playing. Those dark, emerald green eyes of his were focused solely on the girl standing next to him, the girl who had his arm slung over her shoulder as she sang. 

As the song reached it crescendo the group around the piano laughed and applauded Ernie who got up and bowed theatrically before offering the piano stool to Hermione. Hermione sat and found her key, launching into a soft ballad, a tune Ginny didn’t recognize and therefore assumed was a muggle song. 

Luna looked at Harry, a soft smile on her face, the candles reflecting in her eyes, making them glow. Harry smiled back, a genuine smile, something that had been missing from Harry for a long time. He tucked Luna’s hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her festive holly wreath earring, and lingering for a moment too long on her cheek. Ginny’s gut twisted painfully as Harry brushed a kiss against Luna’s temple. Luna merely smiled, as though this action was an everyday occurrence, and Ginny grudgingly supposed it was. Harry hugged Luna to his side, and as her fingers clasped together around his waist, Harry swayed slightly to the music, his arms securely wrapped around Luna, absently twirling her hair around his fingers. 

Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were a phenomenon Ginny failed to understand and in that moment she decided to give up even trying, the answer was probably there, but hidden beneath the surface, somewhere she could never see; something between Harry and Luna only. 

It was time, Ginny thought, time to let go. Although she would always wonder, where her relationship with Harry had gone.


End file.
